FLUSHING, NY — A typical day-night split-admission doubleheader at the ballpark and in the press box of Citi Field writers were filing deadline pieces of the Mets’ afternoon win over the NL East division leading Braves. Players tucked in their sanctuary clubhouses and fans filed out of the ballpark, while the crew cleaned to prepare for the nightcap a few hours later.
But this was not that normal day-night split of two teams. The Braves (63-45) in all probability are on a road to the postseason as the Mets (46-63), in a rebuild, play out the string. Not normal also in every day standards with a trade deadline in five days. General managers are huddling on phones and scouts are scattered at ballparks giving their reports of players that can help a team during the pennant stretch.
“It’s what we do, the adrenaline of nearing a deadline and looking for that player or two,” offered a scout who was walking the corridors inside the press level section of Citi Field late Wednesday afternoon.
Scouts from each MLB team have been scattered at ballparks across the nation for weeks ahead of MLB’s Trade Deadline on Monday, August 3rd – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Because there is a tender nature to all of this, minus those sources and rumors that are customary during this time of year on the baseball calendar, scouts and executives request anonymity.
That is expected, I recall when the Mets made another pitch years back to acquire Yoenis Céspedes, the source stressed this is off the record. This writer here got it and Céspedes was then a Met.
Members of the 2015 NL Champion Mets, Yoenis Céspedes and Matt Harvey, who threw out the first pitch prior to Game 5 of the 2024 NLCS between the Dodgers and Mets at Citi Field – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Regardless, the sources usually are correct, we all have one or two and honor that anonymity. However, this is a new era in baseball with a looming deadline that will go down to the wire because there exists contentious talks with the players union and owners. Those two parties will race to a December 1st deadline in an attempt to prevent a lockout and disruption of the game.
Though about the August 3rd trade deadline, the scouts say it’s important for both teams in Queens Wednesday as they each show many needs to improve. To contend, the Braves more so than the Mets who are looking towards 2027.
The Braves have won six of their last 10 games and hold a 6.5 game lead for the NL East division title – Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports
“Pitching. Every team needs and is looking for that one in the rotation and out of the bullpen,” said one scout who was busy on the phone packing his bag for another destination. Obviously he was taking a last minute look at potential players who become valuable commodities this time of year.
The Mets believe they have some including injured right-handed starter Clay Holmes who can make a difference and a few arms in the bullpen.
With less than a week to go until the August 3rd trade deadline, Clay Holmes is reportedly one of the most attractive names on the market in starting pitching department – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
It’s the business of baseball, these are advanced scouts and the very few that are employed in MLB. They usually sit behind home plate conspicuously with iPads now, no longer holding the traditional notebook and pen. They log in the data on the tablets.
Who has the dominating fastball and control, a swing that makes a difference? The velocity paired to pitch command or discipline at the plate? Also the contract attached to said player who is signed to the length of their deal becomes tricky. And yes, they all consider a player with team control as well as those in walk years. The same for prospects that would go in a potential trade for a rental.
Yet each scenario of a deal is different.
Although it is not confirmed Houston will trade shortstop Jeremy Peña, his name, like many across the sport, has come up in trade rumors in the most recent days – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
I asked this scout before he was headed to his next destination. What ballpark is next, what players are expendable and who is considered an untouchable? The obvious answer was reading between the lines, we all have sources. They have their responsibility of not leaking what could be that trade that makes a difference.
It’s the confidentiality factor of it all, knowing this is a business with the baseball season at its crucial time ahead of the trade deadline.
A trade deadline can either make or break a team’s chase to October and their shot at raising a World Series trophy – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
You hear the Mets’ grounds crew prepping the field for Game 2, still a few hours away from first pitch. You hear the stadium concession workers stocking up merchandise and hot dogs then filling the fountain-drink machines for the incoming night crowd.
And you still see and hear some of those scouts that remain, a few decided to stay a few more innings for the nightcap. Some left the ballpark but obviously their day was not done because filing the necessary deadline reports are essential.
It’s the next five days of mayhem on the calendar of checking phones and hearing rumors. A flurry of activity prior to this coming Monday at 6:00pm ET is expected because so many teams are still in the playoff hunt. When a trade is finalized, scouts and executives breathe a bit better, hoping the proper moves were made to better a team or on the other side, boost their minor league system with prospects.
Reports of a trade between the Angels and Rangers surfaced Thursday evening with Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth going to the Rangers for minor league prospect infielder Angel Arredondo – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
The scouts expect the Mets to be active. They will restructure and build for next year, if indeed there is a 2027 season. The Braves, seeking a pitcher, could be in the hunt for Tigers’ back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. He was rumored to have pitched his last game with the team Wednesday afternoon in Detroit.
But the Tigers (51-58) are in range of a AL Wild Card spot (4.5 games back), so chances are he stays in his walk year, but all can change quickly. Of course, the Dodgers, with the money, could control any Skubal talks.
So, the Mets split a long day of baseball as the Braves won 1-0 in the nightcap. Interesting how the Mets took the season series and it amounts to pride and not a potential division title or NL pennant down the road.
The scouts and fans left the ballpark soon after the final pitch. Stadium workers closed their shop and prepared for another ballgame Thursday evening. Writers paced to the bowels of Citi Field for postgame comments and writing deadline material.
Mets reliever Luke Weaver is another name to keep an eye on in the bullpen market as MLB’s trade deadline approaches – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
A trade deadline awaits, a never ending story for the next five days.
It’s the business of baseball and one or two moves can change the entire landscape of a team possibly headed to play baseball in October.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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